The Nation Newspaper

Tag: allow

  • Umeadi: allow retired judges to practise law

    ANAMBRA State Chief Judge (CJ), Justice Peter Umeadi, has backed the call for retired judges to return to practice.

    He faulted the barring of former judges from returning to the Bar.

    The CJ spoke during a special court session to mark the beginning of the 2018 legal year.

    He pointed out that other countries had since lifted the restrictions on former judges practising as lawyers after leaving the Bench.

    Justice Umeadi backed a former Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS) Director-General Prof Epiphany Azinge (SAN) who earlier made the call.

    He said: “The Judiciary is inseparable from the Bar. I express my sincere appreciation to the Bar for coming to the rescue of the Bench whenever there is need.  Such has been the practice.

    “On a personal note, let me paraphrase and say that from the Bar I come and unto the Bar I shall return. And that would not be too long from now.

    “It does not matter that Judicial Officers are not allowed to return to the Bar in full steam.

    “The erudite Prof. Epiphany Azinge (SAN) harped on this exclusion at his rousing speech during the Sixtth Chief Judge Dinner in March, 2017 at Awka.”

    Justice Umeadi quoted Azinge as saying: “Many jurisdictions abroad have long waived this Rule. A judge will certainly be more relaxed, bolder and more resolute, if he or she is aware that regardless of any untoward occurrence he or she can still dust the wig and gown and return to legal practice.”

    He called on lawyers to join the advocacy.

    “I urge the Bar to put their heart to this fight. After all a returning Judicial Officer to the Bar world not change the law,” Justice Umeadi said.

    The Committee of Chairmen of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) branches in Anambra praised Umeadi for transforming the judiciary.

    It said the CJ was able to raise the bar in terms of infrastructural development and reforms, which has improved the economic fortunes of lawyers.

    The committee’s chairman, Mr. G.U. Moneke, who is NBA Awka branch chairman, said in a statement: “I congratulate the chief shepherd of the Anambra State Judiciary, Justice P.N.C. Umeadi on his giant strides in the upliftment of the judiciary in the previous legal year particularly the 2017/2018 legal year.

    “The Chief Judge was able to weather the storm in the previous years and despite the harsh economic realities, he has miraculously raised the bar in terms of infrastructural development of the judiciary.

    “My Lord has also been able to enhance the scope of operations of lawyers of the judiciary despite the  economic realities and by extension improved the income of legal practitioners.

    “This he achieved by the creation of three new judicial divisions in Aniocha, Orumba and Ogbaru judicial divisions.

    “Above all, my lord has maintained the cordiality in the relationship between the Bar and the Bench.  My lord has shown a remarkable respect for the bar.

    “This he has always demonstrated any time the bar goes to have a meeting with him or pays him a visit.”

    The committee pledged to continue to work harmoniously with the Bench.

    “I have also been asked to felicitate with all the members of the bench in Anambra State for their unalloyed support to the Chief Judge; for their rare display of diligence, strength, wisdom and fairness in the administration of justice, and above all, their show of understanding of and good relationship with the Bar in the preceding year,” he said.

  • Rivers: we won’t allow any ‘installation’

    Rivers: we won’t allow any ‘installation’

    The Rivers State government has condemned reports of the First Lady, Mrs Patience Jonathan’s alleged plans to instal a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) aspirant as governor next year.

    In a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Rotimi Amaechi, David Iyofor, the government said: “We will strongly, vehemently, valiantly and bravely resist and fight any attempt by anyone, organisation or institution, including The Presidency, to unconstitutionally instal anyone as governor.

    “There is no provision in the constitution and laws for the ‘installation’ of a preferred aspirant as governor by The Presidency.

    “What our laws prescribe is a free and fair election that must be devoid of police and security forces coercion, harassment and intimidation of voters.

    “Rivers voters must be allowed to and will freely choose and elect their governor next year. It is their inalienable democratic right that they will not and will never surrender to anyone or institution, including the Presidency.

    “We must warn that the looming danger ahead for our polity and our country is indeed ominous, if this noxious script is acted out. This is an avoidable crisis that must be avoided by all parties mentioned in the reports.

    “We congratulate and welcome the Commissioner of Police. We expect and hope that he would act professionally and would firmly resist any external influences and pressures.”

  • We won’t allow indiscipline in PDP, says Jonathan

    We won’t allow indiscipline in PDP, says Jonathan

    President Jonathan told the Rivers PDP delegation that indiscipline would no longer be tolerated in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    He said: “Rivers State is a key state to Southeasterners. It is a key state that needs very strong, focused, committed leadership and maximum political unity and stability. Otherwise, anything could happen and affect the whole country.

    “For us to have a stable democracy, we have to have a strong political party. And that is why we get worried when we notice some of the indiscipline in some of the political parties. And the new PDP that we are all working together for will no longer tolerate indiscipline.

    “All over the world, parties are supposed to build on ideological differences. These may be close. If you look at the classical case of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the National Republican Convention (NRC) that were created by the military, their ideologies were a little to the right and a little to the left.

    “That is the essence of politics. But, in a situation where somebody is in a particular political party but his faith is in another political party… For those who are not holding political offices, yes you can excuse…But if you are holding an elective office, you won’t be in that party and be working for another party. Otherwise, why are you there?”

    Jonathan added: “I have listened to the introductions and being a Rivers person, I know key political actors in Rivers State; the who’s who in Rivers State; and they are here. I want to thank you for building this political structure for the state, for the interest of Rivers State and to position Rivers State in the politics of the country.

    “To me, I have been working with people of Rivers State for quite some time before I got here. I have had a robust relationship with my brothers and sisters in Rivers State. They are very reliable people who I believe will not speak with both sides of their mouths.”

  • ‘Allow Suntai to recuperate’

    A non-governmental organisation (NGO), the Taraba Peace Assembly, yesterday urged Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam and others to allow Taraba State Governor Danbaba Suntai to recuperate.

    Suswam, on return from his visit to Suntai in a hospital in the United States, said the ailing governor nicknamed him “Alhaji Suswam“ while he (Suswam) called him “Mallam Suntai“.

    The group in a statement by its executive Director, Rev Joshua Adiame, said: “Alhaji Suswam is putting further strain on the fragile health of Mallam Suntai. Our governor is undergoing a painfully slow rehabilitative procedure.

    “Medical experts are unanimous that when somebody is brain-damaged or injured, putting extra stress on him further worsens the patient‘s condition. Little stress can further complicate their medical state. So, what neurosurgeon experts recommended is for such patients to be kept under constant nurturing with minimal exposure to energy-sapping activities…”

  • Amaechi: we won’t allow Bayelsa to collect Rivers oil wells

    Amaechi: we won’t allow Bayelsa to collect Rivers oil wells

    Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi talked tough yesterday on oil wells dispute between his state and Bayelsa – the President’s home state.

    “We won’t allow the ceding of our oil wells”, he said.

    Amaechi spoke while opening a legislative capacity building programme for the Rivers State House of Assembly in Calabar, Cross River State.

    He said Rivers and Bayelsa states had never had issues with boundaries, which according to him, are well known to all. He added that since the creation of Bayelsa State, there has been no law or agreement ceding any part of Kalabari communities or Rivers State to Bayelsa State.

    Said the governor: “We will not allow the attempt by the Bayelsa State government to collect our oil wells. I have read what the Bayelsa State governor said. That the 11th edition of the (administrative) map (of Nigeria) gave them the oil wells. When? They didn’t talk about the 1st edition to the 10th edition; they chose to avoid that, and went to the 11th edition, but the question they should answer is, why avoid the previous editions?”

    “But the Federal Government came to court and said, ‘oh we made a mistake in the 11th edition; we will correct it’. They should correct it; the documents were filed by their lawyers, not our lawyers. All we want is for the Federal Government to go back to the 10th edition and correct everything…

    “Bayelsa State was created so many years ago. There has been no law ceding that part of Kalabari kingdom to Bayelsa State. Now, when did it suddenly change? It changed in 2006, but I don’t want to join issues. I want the Kalabari people to represent themselves and I will stand behind them, and all what we are saying is that they should look from the 1st to the 10th edition (of the administrative map) and not an imaginary 11th edition.”

    He went on: “It won’t work; it will certainly not work. No matter how they try to intimidate the agencies of the Federal Government, we will continue to go to court and let our people know that the agencies of the Federal Government are being intimidated; that is what we are saying.”

    Amaechi urged Rivers people to stand behind his administration to ensure justice, equity and fair play in the “sudden” claims by the Bayelsa State Government.

    “All we want is for Rivers people to stand by us; Soku community has been in Rivers State long before Bayelsa State was created. Elem- Sangama is not a ward in Bayelsa State, but they said they don’t want territory, they want derivation, how can that work? Does oil come from the air? He has already answered the question for us, but we must struggle to get back our oil wells.” Amaechi said.

    He added: “Very soon, we shall present the Appropriation Bill. The kind of bills you have passed into law are useful to the people.”

    Cross River State Governor Liyel Imoke said no compensation was paid to Bakassi indigenes that are passing through hard times.

    “A whole local government area was collected and handed over to Cameroon and till now, no compensation has been paid to my people. I think it is right for the federal government to look at this problems critically,” Imoke said.